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Monday, March 31, 2008

Arizona Proposal To Establish Open Disciplinary Records

House Bill 2159, sponsored by Rep. Kirk Adams (R-Mesa), would require public entities to maintain "records that are reasonably necessary or appropriate" to track disciplinary actions of public officers or public employees, including employee responses to the disciplinary actions.

The records would become subject to the Arizona Public Records Law and open for public inspection "unless inspection or disclosure of the records or information in the records is specifically prohibited pursuant to law."

While the bill arose from a desire to create transparency in the operations of Child Protective Services, it would affect all public entities, including state universities.

"In a perfect world, this bill should not be necessary," said attorney David Bodney, a partner with Steptoe & Johnson LLP who helped draft the bill. "The Arizona Public Records Law does not exempt disciplinary records from the public inspection.

More here.

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